If SQL coding gives you a mild panic attack, it’s completely understandable. You were hired for your analytic skills; struggling to write flawless queries or waiting around for help isn’t a good use of your talent.

You should spend your workdays doing what you really love: analyzing data. But when it takes a ridiculous amount of effort to get to the data you need, your analytic genius goes to waste.

Yet more and more companies are forcing data analysts to figure out how to access data from multiple, and often complex, sources. So if you’re tired of all the stress and scope creep, it’s time to reconsider your analyst toolkit.

Visual query builder: The SQL coding shortcut

In our new webcast, SQL for the Business Analyst, we talk about how you can skip coding altogether â€• and still get all the data you need, faster than you can type SELECT * FROM. So what’s the secret?

Look for a solution that offers a visual approach to building queries. That’s the magic genie of SQL. A good visual query builder lets you instantly see where all your data resides. Instead of starting with a blank slate and wondering where to begin, it shows you all your tables, the relationships between the tables and the items in each one.

You simply point, click, drag and drop, and your wish is its command. You don’t ever have to worry about perfect syntax again. You can even watch as the query builder writes the code for you in the bottom of your screen, as you effortlessly tell it what to execute â€• by doing nothing more than clicking your mouse.

Need to check inventory in a few warehouses but have to cross-reference data in Oracle and Hadoop while merging it with that Excel spreadsheet on your desktop? A good analytics toolset can do that for you. It knocks down data silos, provides rapid data access and simplifies data integration.

And who comes out looking like the hero? You do. Your boss will automatically assume you’ve got serious coding skills. In reality, you’re getting hours back in your day, avoiding frustration and saving the company money now that they don’t have to hire a Hadoop specialist. Plus, you can use all that extra time and energy to focus on the work where you really shine. Raise anyone?

New on-demand webcast: SQL for the Business Analyst

Ready to impress your boss without even trying? Check out our new webcast, SQL for the Business Analyst to get the low down on using a visual query builder today.